


A Galaxy of Stars

by ladyalenko (ladyofthegreymist)



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Adept (Mass Effect), F/M, Mass Effect - Freeform, Mass Effect 3, Paragon (Mass Effect), Spacer (Mass Effect), War Hero (Mass Effect)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-09-16 23:44:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9294920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyofthegreymist/pseuds/ladyalenko
Summary: Chapter one of a Mass Effect 3 Fanfic.Kaidan and Jaye meet for the first time since Horizon. Then the Reapers land and all hell breaks loose.





	1. Shattered Earth

**Author's Note:**

> Yup so this is basically my take on Kaidan seeing Jaye for the first time since Horizon at the beginning of ME3. It shows some relationship building between Vega and Kaidan. Nothing too special, just what I think Kaidan might have been thinking. I know everyone has differing opinions on these things but hey it's my headcanon lol 
> 
> I'm still getting into fanfiction and writing in general, so constructive criticism is welcome. I am trying to proofread and be my own editor so if there's any noticeable mistakes I've missed don't hesitate to let me know, tactfully of course. 
> 
> As usual Bioware owns everything including my soul

Kaidan’s heart skipped a beat when he sees her standing in front of him. It is as though the bustling in the room has stopped and there is no one else in the world but the two of them. He resisted the overwhelming urge to run to her, to crush her into his chest and breathe her scent, to kiss her until she was breathless and then to yell at her, demand an explanation for everything that she had done since he saw her last on Horizon. She looked different to how she had been then. Her hair was longer pulled into a bun, similar to how she wore it on the SR-1. He loved that hairstyle on her, it revealed the slender slope of her neck and when the wispy pieces came loose and brushed her shoulders, it practically begged for him to loosen it and drown himself in its fiery tendrils. That bright red hair framed and contrasted against the paleness of her freckled skin and enhanced clear, ice blue eyes that had haunted his dreams for 2 and a half agonising years. God she was beautiful. He had once called himself a lucky man, as he ran his hands through her luxuriously long, unbound hair while she lay in naked splendour, unfurled below him on that night before Ilos. He had spent almost a year on the SR-1 trying to fight the feelings she released in him. Day after day denying that what he felt for her meant anything, but in the end it had consumed them both and they had come together. It was a union that had melted any pretences they had shared. It was a perfect night. One he couldn’t forget, as much as he had wanted to over the years. As much as he had needed to, to move on. That moment of perfection and happiness was too good to be true and gone in an instant when Commander Jaye Shepard went down in flames with the Normandy.

“Shepard… Jaye.”

She turns her red head toward him, and he can see her blue gaze soften.

“Kaidan.”

He gives her a nod, putting on his ‘Major face’ as his Mom liked to call it. That serious expression of outward calm and professionalism. It was a difficult mask to uphold when Jaye Shepard was standing before him and his insides were churning.

Admiral Anderson, interrupted his thoughts. “How’d it go in there Major?”

“Ok, I think. Hard to know. I’m just waiting on orders.”

Shepard looked shocked. “Major?”

Anderson looked at her, surprised. “You hadn’t heard?”

“No I hadn’t.” She looked at Kaidan, he could see the hurt in her eyes. A part of him regretted not defying orders and seeing her when she was in detention, but the other part of him - the spiteful part – felt as though it was fitting payback for her not making the effort to contact him when she worked for Cerberus.

“Sorry Shepard it’s been… well…”

She moved toward him and lightly touched his arm. His skin felt electric at her touch. “It’s OK... I’m just glad I bumped into you Kaidan.” The hurt was still visible in her eyes, but she smiled at him anyway. She was good at that. Putting on her poker face even when she was hurting. He had been one of the few people to see her lose herself in her emotions.

“Yeah. Me too.” He looked down at her and met her searching gaze with one of his own. In that moment he wished he could read minds.

“Admiral.” It was time for her to go. He had done what he could in the Defence Committee. Explained what had happened on Eden Prime, Noveria, Virmire, Ilos. During the Battle of the Citadel. The Reapers were coming. Jaye had told them all time and time again, but no one took her seriously, despite her exemplary service record, despite her unblemished character. Not until it was too late.

“C’mon.” The Admiral motioned for Jaye to follow and she nodded and walked forward. Kaidan smiled at her, hoping to give her some strength and encouragement. He was relieved when she smiled back. She had no idea what she was walking into. None of them did. The muscled soldier escorting her approached him from behind.

“You know the Commander?” The muscular man seemed a little in awe. God knows what stories he’d been fed about Jaye, but he wouldn’t be the first Alliance Soldier to hero worship her and Kaidan doubted he’d be the last. Hell, HE had hero worshipped her. War Hero. Star of Terra recipient. What was there not to worship. She was enigmatic, head-strong and stunningly beautiful to-boot. He had loved her from the first moment he met her, as clichéd as it sounded. The side-ways grin and smart-ass comment she gave him after their biotics had brushed during their first meeting had sent shocks through them both. That touch had shook him to the core. He’d loved the idea of her at that stage and after what had happened to her on Eden Prime he had wanted to somehow protect her. It wasn’t until he got to know the woman, her quirks, her dry sarcastic wit, her intelligence, that he truly knew what it was like to fall completely and hopelessly in love with someone.

“I used to.” He watched her walk away, a sight that had always been distracting.

“What do you mean ‘used to?’” the man wasn’t going to let it go.

“It’s complicated.” Kaidan didn’t want to talk about it. “What’s your name soldier?”

“Lieutenant James Vega. Alliance Marines… uh… Sir.” The man saluted and Kaidan returned the gesture.

“Major Kaidan Alenko. Alliance Marines. At ease Soldier.” The man relaxed, but looked shaken.

“Shit so you’re THE Alenko who served with the Commander back on the SR-1? Scuttlebut says you guys were together, am I right?”

“Like I said. It’s complicated.”

“Huh yeah. There’s nothing simple about Commander Shepard that’s for sure. Hey wanna grab a bite before the committee finishes and I go back to my duties as your girlfriend’s jailor?”

“She’s not my girlfriend. Things never got that far..." Kaidan stopped and looked at the stupid shit-eating grin emerging on the man's face. "Right... you're joking. Sure, I could use something to eat.” Kaidan followed the man to the mess and began slapping food onto his plate. He was starving. The harder he had worked on his biotics over the last 2 and a half years, meant he had become more powerful – in spite of his L2 implant – and the more powerful he became, the more hungry he became. Vega looked at him in surprise.

“Damn man, when was the last time you ate?”

“A couple hours ago.” Kaidan spoke around a mouthful of food.

“Uh right. You’re a biotic huh?”

Kaidan nodded. “Jaye… uh Shepard used to tease me about how much food I went through when we visited the Citadel. Of course she'd say this as she was devouring a full size pizza to herself. Ship rations were never enough for either of us.”

Vega laughed. “Nothing’s changed. I ordered pizza to share with her once and barely saw any of it. She was grinning at me as she chugged her beer.”

Kaidan laughed. “Yeah that sounds like her.”

“So what happened?”

“What do you mean what happened?” A hushed silence fell over the room. The news report was broadcasting pictures of Reapers causing desolation and chaos. People were dying by the thousands, nothing could stand in the way of those monoliths of destruction. He couldn’t believe they were here so soon. There should have been more time.

“What the fuck are they?” Vega boomed, breaking the silence.

“Reapers... Dammit. We’ve got to go find Anderson and Jaye.” He made a break for the door but an explosion ripped through the building sending bodies flying. Kaidan and Vega were thrown to the ground. Smoke engulfed the room blocking the light, as Kaidan slowly got to his feet holding his head. He looked around for Vega and gave him a hand up. He had to find Anderson and Jaye, ASAP.

“You alright Lieutenant?” The man nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. “C’mon we have to get…” Kaidan’s words were interrupted with gunfire. Through the clearing smoke he could see husks and a different kind of Reaper he hadn’t encountered before, they were ugly as sin and wielding guns that appeared built into their hands, shooting anything that moved.

“Goddamn it. Where’s an M-8 when you need one?” He looked at Vega who seemed to be itching for a fight.

“OK we run. Don’t let those husks get close to you. They do a shit tonne of damage in melee range.” The man nodded. Kaidan signalled silently toward a glass window at the edge of the room. Vega instinctively understood his command and staying in cover, somehow managed to smash it with a chair, before vaulting through. Kaidan threw biotics at those Reapers closest to the window, disrupting their movements, before sprinting toward the broken window and diving after him. He landed with a thud next to Vega who pulled him up by his shirt and dusted him off. His personal communicator beeped. Kaidan answered it as he ran.

“Hey it’s Kaidan. Anderson is that you? Yeah I’ve got Lietenant Vega here, we're under heavy fire. Is Jaye with you? Is she OK?” The signal dropped out momentarily before returning. All he heard was Normandy and rendezvous before being cut off entirely. 

"Shit, they're jamming communications. OK we head to the Normandy and rendezvous with Anderson there. I hope he has a plan.”

“Where’s the Commander?” Vega sounded worried.

“I’m sure she’s fine. We’ll find out soon I guess.” Kaidan hoped he didn't sound as worried as he actually was.


	2. Priority: Mars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaye visits Kaidan in Huerta Memorial. As he lay unconscious she reminisces about their time on the SR-1 and what it was that made her fall in love with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jaye's POV. Yes there is dialogue from the game in this Chapter. I have been wanting to expand on the scene for a long time. Get in Shepard's head in that moment and this is it.
> 
> Bioware owns everything including my soul

“I’m not with them anymore.” Had been the recurring theme between Jaye and Kaidan on Mars. Jaye had taken great delight in seeing Kaidan in action again, he was a better solider now than what he had been, if that was at all possible. Clearly 2 and a half years had made great changes in him, some for better and some for worse. The suspicion he had for her was something she could do without. Had Vega not been there she would have had it out with him once and for all, but she knew that going in swinging would only result in driving him further away. She needed to take it slow, be patient with him, and try and explain what had happened. Why she couldn’t contact him after she regained consciousness, why she had done what she did with the Alpha Relay.

There was a short conversation after he had accused her of being a Cerberus puppet. She could barely contain her anger, but then he had walked toward her, softly gripped her arms and demanded to know if the person he had loved was still there. Her anger had dissipated in that moment. He was hurt, confused and scared. Torn between his love for her and his love for the Alliance. She told him that nothing had changed in her, that she still felt the same for him as she always had. He hadn’t believed her of course and in reaction she grinned and punched him playfully, breaking the ice a little. Stubborn man as always.

Now he lay in a hospital bed before her, having almost been killed before she could win him back. This was just one more thing the Illusive Man would pay for before she ended him. She pulled a chair to his bed and sat down taking Kaidan’s cold hand in hers. Lifting it to her lips she kissed his palm softly. She moved her other hand to his forehead where she stroked his bruised skin. She remembered his migraines and how she would sit with him in the dark of the med bay when she could, just combing her fingers through his black hair, softly massaging his skull. He’d loved when she did that and he’d thank her in return by silently bringing her hot chocolate in the middle of the night when she couldn’t sleep. He never stayed of course, just gave her one of his gorgeous smiles and touched her shoulder softly, reminding her that he was there. That someone who cared was close by. Scuttlebutt on the Normandy had been rife. Everyone seemed hell bent on talking about their budding relationship, she’d heard Joker had made bets with one of the Engineers over how long it would actually last. Kaidan was an amazing man and she fell hard for him soon after she joined the Normandy. He had seen and done a lot and came from a military family just as she did, but he was more grounded than she, more natural, she guessed from having grown up planet side with his parents and so he became the anchor that kept her feet firmly planted. She looked at him now, bound to the bed by wires and winced, salty tears stinging her eyes.

“God, Kaidan it hurts seeing you like this. I don’t know if you can hear me, but since you can’t tell me to get the hell out either I’ll take my chances. You’ve got to fight. We need you in this. Seeing you in action again reminded me that you’re one helluva a soldier. The Alliance could use you… I could use you. I need you with me Kaidan. I need to be reminded why I’m doing this, what’s at stake if we lose. I’m sorry. I know you can’t hear me but I have to explain. I tried to contact you. I talked to Anderson but he wouldn’t tell me where you were. No one in the Alliance would talk to me. Then on Horizon… That was hard. Seeing you angry at me like that. It broke my damn heart. You know me, Kaidan. You know how hard it is for me to show how I feel, I was so angry after Horizon, so hurt. I broke down and cried. So much had changed in 2 years. I’d lost you. I… I think I stopped caring after that. I put myself in danger so many times, I don’t know how I survived, how we all survived the Collector Base. I tried to reply to your message. I wrote and re-wrote that damn message a hundred times, but I couldn’t find the right words. I felt so guilty that I was alive and causing you so much pain. I never wanted to take your happiness. I finally did send you a message just before we went through the Omega 4 Relay, but I guess it never found you…. I’ll send it to you now to read when you wake up.”

Jaye activated her omnitool and sent the message through. She heard the tell-tale beep that said Kaidan had received it. Taking his hand again, she lay her head on the bed next to it and closed her eyes.

“I love you and I’m sorry.” She whispered before falling into a light sleep.


End file.
